Personal goal system was: IA vs. AI

Edwin Evans (eevans@aveo.com)
Sun, 8 Aug 1999 08:40:07 -0700

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der Otter wrote:
"My approach (subgoal: stay alive, interim goals: seek pleasure, expand = sphere of influence, seek knowledge, evolve until you find a better goal = system) may seem a bit mundane in comparison, but it *is* a safe bet. "

TANSTAASF. You could be going to hell.

So, you're tied to a railroad track A and your (maybe biological) = children are tied to track B. A train is racing to a switch that you = control so in 5 seconds either you or your children will die. An hour = later a train is coming from the other direction on track B that is = going to kill you if you aren't already dead. So you pick A, and = rationalize it to yourself that "sacrifice" isn't "sacrifice" when you = use it. Its just when Yudkowsky says "sacrifice", that ve means = "stupidity".=20

To me, selfishness as a goal system seems too complicated to have much = chance of being correct. It depends on having a correct understanding of = emotions, time, consciousness, and "I".=20 

The time for you to "find a better goal system" is now. (That should be =
your root. Or is it and I'm just reading your sentence backwards?) If a =
Genie or an SI asks you what you want, don't say you want to survive (I =
can imaging how that could turn out!), don't say you want to be happy, = say you want what has most overall value. (If you're right about it = being happiness, you'll get it anyway.) That is more practical and a = little safer bet.=20

You actually seem to believe Robinson when ve writes:

"But egoism is more than this. It is the realization by the individual = that he is above all institutions and all formulas; that they exist only = so far as he chooses to make them his own by accepting them. "

Lets go ahead and ignore how silly that sounds. Do you have no hope that = anything can matter? That all you can do is make some context-sensitive = value that will vanish to nothing when examined outside the system, = which is to say objectively? If that's it then, scold me, cause I don't = care. Your system depends on my whims, and there's no point putting them = on stilts.=20

Don't satisfice at egoism or maximizing personal extropy. Let go. There = may be a better goal system. =20

-Edwin Evans

"It's optimism to the point where it makes me nervous. When you get to = the ultimate ends of radical optimism, you have to look at what it was = you really wanted all along, and what that really means." - Vinge

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der Otter=20 wrote:
"My approach (subgoal: = stay alive,=20 interim goals: seek pleasure, expand sphere of influence, seek = knowledge, evolve=20 until you find a better goal system) may seem a bit mundane in = comparison, but=20 it *is* a safe bet. "
 
TANSTAASF. You could be going to hell.
 
So, you're tied to a railroad track A and your = (maybe=20 biological) children are tied to track B. A train is racing to a switch = that you=20 control so in 5 seconds either you or your children will die. An hour = later a=20 train is coming from the other direction on track B that is going to = kill you if=20 you aren't already dead. So you pick A, and rationalize it to yourself = that=20 "sacrifice" isn't "sacrifice" when you use it. Its = just when=20 Yudkowsky says "sacrifice", that ve means = "stupidity".=20
 
To me, selfishness as a goal system seems too = complicated to=20 have much chance of being correct. It depends on having a correct = understanding=20 of emotions, time, consciousness, and "I".
 
The time for you to "find a better goal = system" is=20 now. (That should be your root. Or is it and I'm just reading your = sentence=20 backwards?) If a Genie or an SI asks you what you want, don't say you = want to=20 survive (I can imaging how that could turn out!), don't say you want to = be=20 happy, say you want what has most overall value. (If you're right about = it being=20 happiness, you'll get it anyway.) That is more practical and a little = safer bet.=20
 
You actually seem to believe Robinson when ve=20 writes:
 
"But egoism is more than this. It is the = realization by=20 the individual that he is above all institutions and all formulas; that = they=20 exist only so far as he chooses to make them his own by accepting them.=20 "
 
Lets go ahead and ignore how silly that sounds. Do = you have no=20 hope that anything can matter? That all you can do is make some=20 context-sensitive value that will vanish to nothing when examined = outside the=20 system, which is to say objectively? If that's it then, scold me, cause = I don't=20 care. Your system depends on my whims, and there's no point putting them = on=20 stilts.
 
Don't satisfice at egoism or maximizing personal = extropy. Let=20 go. There may be a better goal system. 
 
 
-Edwin Evans
 
"It's optimism to the point = where it makes=20 me nervous. When you get to the ultimate ends of radical optimism, you = have to=20 look at what it was you really wanted all along, and what that really=20 means." - Vinge
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